He chased the light by standing in one place and watching
how it moved in front of him from moment to moment, brush to canvas,
frantic in his efforts to capture it. Now this one, now that,
the sun moves quickly in the French sky. Look.
Look. You will only understand it properly if you learn
to see what is before you – not what you think you see, but
what is. Absorb it with every sense you have. Taste the
colour. Feel the light. See the breeze that makes those
flickers on the water. Chase them. Catch them. Don’t
let them get away from you. Now paint what you see
and feel – capture everything. The rich layers, the light,
the shade, tell them what it’s like to be here, now.
What impression do you take from this place?

(Inspired by the life and works of Claude Monet)

Amanda McLeod

Amanda McLeod is a Canberra-based creative with fiction and poetry published in many places, both in print and online. She is the Managing Editor of Animal Heart Press, a small poetry press. A fan of quiet places, she’s often outdoors with her dog, looking for the perfect spot.

© 2019